


Solace

by rapidashwiki



Series: The Desmond Shepard Chronicles [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Colonist (Mass Effect), F/M, Mass Effect 2, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Ruthless (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 18:30:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18267011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rapidashwiki/pseuds/rapidashwiki
Summary: "But scar or no, you’re still Shepard.MyShepard. Your past doesn’t have to define you, but it has made you into the man you are today, take solace in that at least.”





	Solace

_“But we surrender!”_

_“So did my family on Mindoir but you didn’t show **them** any mercy, did you?”_

-

Desmond awoke abruptly, the blood-curdling screams of the batarians he’d killed, no, slaughtered still rang through his head. It wasn’t the first time he’d relived that particular moment on Torfan through his subconscious, nor would it be the last, but his reaction was always the same.

He wiped the perspiration from his forehead and shifted so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed, making sure to be quiet enough that he didn’t wake the sleeping quarian beside him.

“Shepard?” A quiet voice spoke from behind him.

“Tali… hey. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

He let out a shaky breath and brought his attention back to Tali. Besides, she was a far better point of focus than the floor he’d spent the past 5 minutes staring at while trying to calm down.

“It’s fine, really.”

Even with her face obscured by the mask, Desmond could tell she was smiling. Which in turn made him smile.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, this was why I wasn’t comfortable with us sleeping in the same bed. I just… don’t want you dealing with any of my baggage because, believe me, there’s about 30 suitcases worth.”

“I had a feeling that was the case. But please know that I’m here, with you, baggage and all. Now what’s that old Earth saying… _Thoughts for a penny?_ ”

Desmond let out a soft chuckle then flopped back on the bed and beneath where Tali’s arm rested, his gaze remained on her.

“How much do you know about Torfan?”

“Only what the official archives have documented. But even then…”

“It was a mess. _I_ was a mess. Looking back, I don’t think I was the right man for that assignment, what with my hatred of batarians at the time.”

He paused for a moment.

“Batarian _slavers_ , I should say.”

Years of therapy had rid Shepard of most of his prejudice toward batarians, but still he said that sentence through gritted teeth. Though as he spoke, Tali had been running her fingers through his hair which always had a calming effect on him. So any negative emotions he felt rising were almost immediately defused.

“Desmond…”

“Do you remember when we first met? The scar I had on my left cheek?”

Tali simply nodded, allowing her finger to trail along the side of his face, and the area where his scar had been.

“After Cerberus brought me back and I got a moment to myself, I had a pretty nasty break down over it when I realised it was gone. It was my only connection to what happened on Torfan, a reminder of the progress I’ve made since then.”

“That’s why I was hesitant to trust you on Freedom’s Progress. I thought you were some kind of perfect Shepard clone!”

Desmond wanted to laugh, however his face remained neutral.

“But scar or no, you’re still Shepard. _My_ Shepard. Your past doesn’t have to define you, but it has made you into the man you are today, take solace in that at least.”

It was only faint but a smile managed to creep it's way onto his face, followed by a yawn. Perhaps now the pair of them could sleep easy for the rest of the night.

“Tali?”

“Yes?”

Desmond brought Tali into his arms, her head resting against his chest, and pulled the blanket up and over them. As he closed his eyes, he pressed a tender kiss atop her helmet.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello... I guess?!
> 
> Never did I imagine in all my years of using AO3 I would actually post my own content - I've always been a lurker! Anyway I hope you enjoyed my short (but hopefully sweet) drabble featuring my Shepard, Desmond, and Tali. I recently replayed the trilogy and finally completed one with a male Shepard, so I'm pretty fond of my guy! Perhaps in the future I'll post more work featuring him?!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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